Kristin Hannah’s latest book, The Women, will touch your heart and may just move you to tears. Frankie McGrath joins the Vietnam war as a nurse after her brother is killed in action. She leaves home and schooling as a privileged debutante who is the best bandage roller in her class to become a skilled operating room nurse in a dangerous war-torn country.  During her two tours of duty, Frankie makes lifelong friendships with nurses Barb and Ethel.  They help her become the nurse she needs to be in Vietnam and then continue to support her through her mental breakdown, addiction, and her love life.

In The Women you will see how Frankie deals with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Vietnam. She is spit on and told that she is not a veteran because “women did not serve in Vietnam.”  You will also see her recovery and her ability to help other women who served in the war as she creates  her refuge on a ranch in Montana.

From a nurse’s perspective, The Women is an amazing book. I was in awe of these strong, complex women. It gave me an insight and appreciation of nursing during war that I may never have known about.  I highly recommend this book to all who want to be inspired and educated.